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"I will be allowed to call myself successful because success is about the change you bring to other people’s lives, it’s not about the number of zeros written on your pay check."
~ Francis Okongo Kinyanjui
Going down my newsfeed on FaceBook is usually an emotional journey.
Sometimes I see things that make me happy,
... others make me laugh so hard,
... some make me really sad,
via Planet Website
... once in a while I come across those ignorant posts that make me want to scream and knock some sense into someone but I say my ooh-saa's, breathe in and out, and keep scrolling... or sometimes I can't help but leave a comment,
(Yes I support gay rights in case you are wondering because "I might not be the same, but that's NOT IMPORTANT, no freedom till we're equal. DAMN RIGHT I SUPPORT IT" ~ Macklemore)
... and most times I am inspired,
... and most times I am inspired,
Yesterday I came across this young man who inspired me profoundly, there's so much I could say about him(though I don't actually know him personally) but i'll let his work speak for him. Reading through his site, I could feel the honesty in his words. So I hope this inspires you, like it did me, to make a difference somewhere, anywhere! And I hope you will support him in his great cause because it's not about how much you give, but the intention with which you give the little that you have/can.
The "Kibera Kids Tennis and Sports Project" is an initiative started by a young man called Francis Okongo Kinyanjui to empower and encourage positivity amongst the youth by providing a better platform for growth away from drugs & crime, among many more issues affecting the youth today, especially in marginalised areas like Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya (Africa's 2nd largest slum), through sports. The goal at hand being to raise 800,000 Kenyan shillings to build tennis courts at the heart of the Kibera slums.
"I am bringing the youth factor into this initiative and encouraging the more privileged youth to help the underprivileged youth by setting up a youth to youth support programme. I consider this opportunity my greatest achievement because sports helped me become a leader and I want to help others become leaders too because when you pass through a window of opportunity your not going to slam it shut behind you, but instead reach out and pull the rest of your community through-that's what leadership is about . I have not only been able to find ways to bring people together and convince them to work jointly to positively change lives in our community, but I have been able to promote peace through social integration because the aim of building these courts is not only to train these children on tennis but to teach them life skills as well. Sports not only opens up opportunities such as scholarships and chances for individuals to further enhance their education but it additionally creates a connection between players whether or not you speak the same language or are of a different racial or ethnic group. It shows us that we are all equal and that is the message I hope to spread through my online and face to face marketing. I know that I have been empowered with a chance to create systems that will constantly benefit my community for decades and I have been accredited with a chance give these kids hope, a chance to change their lives for the better, and ultimately, a chance to slay these beasts that have haunted my country for years on end causing Drug use, Poverty and Xenophobia. At last, utopia is now in the horizon."
What I loved most about this project is his perception and understanding of success,
"I am passionate about this project because I know that this court won’t only be there for a term or two, No, It will be there for years to come-etched in the earth. year after year, It will open up windows of opportunities for these Kids and years from now-I can promise you, I will look back at that court and think, ‘I was a part of this’, Years from now I will watch those Kids go off to University and I will say, ‘I was a part of this’, and Years from now, when hundreds of crowds contently embrace these leaders of the future in honour, I will shout enthusiastically, ‘I was a part of this’. I will be allowed to call myself successful because success is about the change you bring to other people’s lives, it’s not about the number of zeros written on your pay check."
For someone to have such conviction, compassion and so much humanity in them at sixteen, is simply admirable and truly inspiring and deserves all our support. So right now, stop for a moment and in all honesty, ask yourself, "what am I doing to make an impact in the world?" and as you figure that out, check out Francis' site here: THE KIBERA KIDS TENNIS AND SPORTS PROJECT, read & learn more about the project, find out how you can be of assistance, BE of that assistance and you too, will one day look back and say, ‘I was a part of this’...
The "Kibera Kids Tennis and Sports Project" is an initiative started by a young man called Francis Okongo Kinyanjui to empower and encourage positivity amongst the youth by providing a better platform for growth away from drugs & crime, among many more issues affecting the youth today, especially in marginalised areas like Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya (Africa's 2nd largest slum), through sports. The goal at hand being to raise 800,000 Kenyan shillings to build tennis courts at the heart of the Kibera slums.
"I am bringing the youth factor into this initiative and encouraging the more privileged youth to help the underprivileged youth by setting up a youth to youth support programme. I consider this opportunity my greatest achievement because sports helped me become a leader and I want to help others become leaders too because when you pass through a window of opportunity your not going to slam it shut behind you, but instead reach out and pull the rest of your community through-that's what leadership is about . I have not only been able to find ways to bring people together and convince them to work jointly to positively change lives in our community, but I have been able to promote peace through social integration because the aim of building these courts is not only to train these children on tennis but to teach them life skills as well. Sports not only opens up opportunities such as scholarships and chances for individuals to further enhance their education but it additionally creates a connection between players whether or not you speak the same language or are of a different racial or ethnic group. It shows us that we are all equal and that is the message I hope to spread through my online and face to face marketing. I know that I have been empowered with a chance to create systems that will constantly benefit my community for decades and I have been accredited with a chance give these kids hope, a chance to change their lives for the better, and ultimately, a chance to slay these beasts that have haunted my country for years on end causing Drug use, Poverty and Xenophobia. At last, utopia is now in the horizon."
What I loved most about this project is his perception and understanding of success,
"I am passionate about this project because I know that this court won’t only be there for a term or two, No, It will be there for years to come-etched in the earth. year after year, It will open up windows of opportunities for these Kids and years from now-I can promise you, I will look back at that court and think, ‘I was a part of this’, Years from now I will watch those Kids go off to University and I will say, ‘I was a part of this’, and Years from now, when hundreds of crowds contently embrace these leaders of the future in honour, I will shout enthusiastically, ‘I was a part of this’. I will be allowed to call myself successful because success is about the change you bring to other people’s lives, it’s not about the number of zeros written on your pay check."
For someone to have such conviction, compassion and so much humanity in them at sixteen, is simply admirable and truly inspiring and deserves all our support. So right now, stop for a moment and in all honesty, ask yourself, "what am I doing to make an impact in the world?" and as you figure that out, check out Francis' site here: THE KIBERA KIDS TENNIS AND SPORTS PROJECT, read & learn more about the project, find out how you can be of assistance, BE of that assistance and you too, will one day look back and say, ‘I was a part of this’...
Remember: You are never too young or too old and there's never a wrong time; every minute, is a chance for you to make a difference. "Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do" ~ Steve Jobs
#YouthOnTheRise
#WHATWHAT?! :)
Happy Easter guys! Stay blessed, stay safe & DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!
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